Sugar crops as a source of fuels. Volume I. Agricultural research. Final report

Technical Report · Mon Jul 31 04:00:00 EDT 1978

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6050259· OSTI ID:6050259

Lipinsky, E. S.; Kresovich, S.; McClure, T. A.; Jackson, D. R.; Lawhon, W. T.; Kalyoncu, A. A.; Daniels, E. L.

This report by Battelle Columbus Division presents the results of a study of the feasibility of using sugar crops as a source of fuels. The program is a cooperative effort, including universities, USDA field experiment stations, research organizations, and engineering companies. Narrow-row spacing experiments were conducted at Houma, Louisiana; Baton Rouge, Louisiana; and Belle Glade, Florida. Narrow-row spacing promotes more rapid canopy closure which helps a short season location more than a long season location. Sweet sorghum experiments in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Ohio indicate favorable yields compared with sugarcane, and yield increases with close spacing in all areas. The project team concludes that sweet sorghum has considerable fuel potential, based on its ability to grow wherever corn or soybeans grow. Initial evaluation of the Tilby cane separator process, which separates the pith from the rind fiber without crushing and grinding, indicates that the process is promising as a means of obtaining fermentable sugars at low cost. The advantages of the Tilby process (yet to be demonstrated on a commercial scale) are low energy consumption, high value for the rind fiber coproducts in products that perform like plywood, pulp or paper making, and ability to use high fiber sugarcane or sweet sorghum.

• Research Organization: Battelle Columbus Labs., OH (USA)
• OSTI ID: 6050259
• Report Number(s): TID-29400/1
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

09 BIOMASS FUELS
090222 -- Alcohol Fuels-- Preparation from Wastes or Biomass-- (1976-1989)
140504* -- Solar Energy Conversion-- Biomass Production & Conversion-- (-1989)
ALCOHOLS
BIOSYNTHESIS
CEREALS
CULTIVATION TECHNIQUES
ECONOMIC ANALYSIS
ECONOMICS
ETHANOL
FLORIDA
FUELS
GRAMINEAE
GRASS
HARVESTING
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
INFORMATION NEEDS
LOUISIANA
NORTH AMERICA
OPTIMIZATION
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PLANTS
PROCESSING
SORGHUM
SOUTHEAST REGION
SOUTHWEST REGION
SUGAR CANE
SYNTHESIS
SYNTHETIC FUELS
TEXAS
USA